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View Full Version : Sonoran Steel Rock Buggy Is Done! It's Fun!


sschaefer3
10-26-2007, 01:21 PM
It's done. So now I can say I did it, I built a Rock Buggy. I know you can get a Hendrix chassis, but I wanted to do something different, really different. I had a Willys CJ-3A and it was lot of fun but all of those parts we so old and not all that great. So I had always wanted to put a Toyota Engine and Drive train in a Willys. So basically that is what I did. It a little weird, but so am I. It's a lot of fun to wheel something so minimal with zero regard for a body. That is really nice.

In a nutshell, the equipment is:

22R on Propane
Marlin Rebuilt L-52HD 5-Speed
Front and Rear ARB's
30 Spline Longfields in the front with hub gears and ARP Studs
Poly Performance Cro-Mo in the rear
Ultimate Marlin Dual Cases, Marlin MC07 and Marlin 4.7 Gear
BudBuilt Crossmember
Downey 79-83 Front Leafs
Stock 2004 Tacoma Double Cab Rear Leafs with Deaver Add-In
4th Gen 4Runner V8 Rear Drive shafts, redone by JE Reel to be Front and Rear Drive shafts
Bilstein 5125 Shocks
Super Swamper TSL 38x12.5x15 on the wheels from our old FJ62
Spidertrax 1.5" Wheel Spacers
All-Pro T-Case Parking Brake operated by VW Bug Center Pull Lever
Jeep YJ Seats and Tracks
Jeep CJ2A Hood & Grill
Reproduction Cowl and Lower Windshield Panel
Hella Black Magic Lights
Auto Meter Gauges, Water Temp, Oil Pressure, Voltage & Onboard Air Status
Pyrotec Harnesses
U-Bolt Flips with Daystar Super Soft Bumpstops
Old Man Emu FJ-80 Steering Stabilizer
Warn M8000 on BudBuilt tray
ViAir Extreme Onboard Air System
"Dixie" Air Horn
Honda XR650L Mirrors
Fully Arizona Street Legal
All 1.5" x .120 DOM tube construction

Probably a lot more stuff I forgot, it's a vehicle built from scratch. More work than you would ever imagine. One of those things you do once. I have taken it out a few times and it is a lot of fun to drive.





http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/1981_Toyota_Mini_PU_001.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/1981_Toyota_Mini_PU_002.jpg

The 1981 4WD Pickup as it looked when I brought it home.

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/1981_Toyota_Mini_PU_006.jpg

A few Days Later

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/L52HD.jpg

4-Speed went and in came the 1983 5-Speed with Marlins Upgrades.

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Buggy_March_2007.jpg

March 2007



Here it is fully done as it looks today:

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Final_Front_October_2007.jpg

Front

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Final_Rear_October_2007.jpg

Rear

Upper and Lower Woodpecker

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Woopeckers_Lower-Upper_001.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Woopeckers_Lower-Upper_002.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Woopeckers_Lower-Upper_003.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Woopeckers_Lower-Upper_004.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Woopeckers_Lower-Upper_005.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Woopeckers_Lower-Upper_006.jpg



Hackberry - Power Line - Devils Canyon - Oak Flats

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Hackberry-PowerLine_001.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Hackberry-PowerLine_002.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Hackberry-PowerLine_003.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Hackberry-PowerLine_004.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Hackberry-PowerLine_005.jpg

http://www.sonoransteel.com/buggy/Hackberry-PowerLine_006.jpg

I will paint it Yellow. When I feel it is good to go and there will be no revisions needed. Also "I" really like Leaf Springs, I can predict them and I like they way the feel, that's just the way I am.


Now for the "real" shocker. I am NOT going to sell my Dana 44 Swapped 1999 4RUnner. Sure it will lead a much more peaceful life than it had and this buggy will get the snot beat out of it, but that 99 4Runner is a great truck and a big part of my life, I could never let it go.

I am tow rig challenged at the moment, but I'll survive. It's street legal.
bamachem
10-26-2007, 01:44 PM
very nice!

:D
ecchamberlin
10-26-2007, 02:24 PM
Very cool! Lots of fab time in that tube work.

How do you like the propane set up? Any issues with power?
neliconcept
10-26-2007, 04:53 PM
very nice setup, unique indeed.

what trail is that and have you run with it?
Bob98SR5
10-26-2007, 06:05 PM
thats some pretty cool stuff, steve :) though i wouldve kept the toyota front. why give a jeep fascade all the credit??!!? :hillbill:

i'd say a desert camo paint job is the way to go
AxleIke
10-26-2007, 08:33 PM
Looks great man. Been a long time coming...
reggie 00
10-26-2007, 09:54 PM
Very cool! Lots of fab time in that tube work.

How do you like the propane set up? Any issues with power?


X2

looks good
Jerm
10-26-2007, 10:06 PM
:thumbup:
Bighead
10-27-2007, 06:18 AM
Great job Steve.
sschaefer3
10-27-2007, 07:07 AM
Propane runs just fine. I had Cary of Got Propane dial it in as they are right down the street from me. It is just like EFI but with no computer, extremely simple, the entire engine runs on 2 wires, Alternator to the battery and MSD to the juice.
AxleIke
10-27-2007, 07:56 AM
out of curiosity and totally off topic, does the 4runner behind the buggy belong to you?
sschaefer3
10-27-2007, 09:14 AM
out of curiosity and totally off topic, does the 4runner behind the buggy belong to you?


No that belongs to Tall Brian. It is the truck Molly was Pimping on YT for some guy named Jeremy. It came to me for a re-build. It's good to go now, it was here 2 weeks and I re-did some of it and finished off what was left.
slosurfer
10-27-2007, 09:18 AM
Do you have a guesstimate on how many miles you can get off of the two propane bottles? Also, do you have any sort of gauge that lets you know how much you have left in each tank?
sschaefer3
10-27-2007, 09:39 AM
Do you have a guesstimate on how many miles you can get off of the two propane bottles? Also, do you have any sort of gauge that lets you know how much you have left in each tank?


Each tank has a level gauge, they are 10 gallon fork lift tanks. I can go 250 miles on both tanks. I have driven it out to Florence Junction/Cotton Wood Canyon Road and back from Tempe. Around 50 miles. So 100 there and back plus wheeling. So I have a real good idea on what it burns.
freejake3
10-27-2007, 02:46 PM
Awesome fabwork.
Tanto
10-28-2007, 07:45 AM
I'm with Bob.

I can't say that I would be totally comfortable riding around with 20lbs of compressed propane right behind me. I do like how simple the engine is to run with the propane though.
Bighead
10-28-2007, 07:55 AM
out of curiosity and totally off topic, does the 4runner behind the buggy belong to you?


No that belongs to Tall Brian. It is the truck Molly was Pimping on YT for some guy named Jeremy. It came to me for a re-build. It's good to go now, it was here 2 weeks and I re-did some of it and finished off what was left.


Looks like Tall Brian got a pretty decent ride.
ecchamberlin
10-28-2007, 10:54 AM
I thought propane was pretty safe unless you have a leak or the valves are not protected. I would feel safe in that rig. Even if it rolls it should be fine. Don't most of the pro rock crawlers use propane?
Cheese
10-28-2007, 11:40 AM
Looks great Steve.

On the propane, I would be more worried about my gas tank than those.

Most pro crawlers use gas coming from cells slightly larger than Nalgene bottles.

Really like the cowl, grill and hood.
sschaefer3
11-12-2007, 09:48 AM
I forgot, Loudin, Powder Coated the front hub dials. They look nice, for now.